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Monday, 22 May 2017

ℚ The Upside of Regret: Aimless Perfection [1] - T.K. Rapp

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author T.K. Rapp to talk about The Upside of Regret (9 May 2017, T.K. Rapp, 298 pages), a Young Adult Coming of Age Novel, book one of the Aimless Perfection series.

"Your heart will break for these girls. You'll want to jump in the book and hug them both tight. And it'll make you hug your babies tight and talk with them.

This is another good YA read by TK Rapp! If you enjoyed this book you'll definitely want to check out Finding Laila by TK Rapp!!" - Amazon reviewer

A very warm welcome to T.K. Rapp; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for The Upside of Regret?

"The Upside of Regret was inspired by my daughters. Being the mom of teenage girls is scary. LOL. But, and I know I’m biased, they are the best. We have very open discussions about many things and from those conversations, stories have been born. I tend to think of my YA books as extensions of those conversations so they relate to people their age and not “mom.”"

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Haha. Good question. I usually say none of it is me but then someone who knows me well and read my book will point out how character ___ is so much like me. So I’ve stopped denying it. It’s never intentional, but once it’s pointed out, I completely see it. So let’s see, I will say in this story, there is a little of me in both of the female characters Brighton and Leah. One is strong and independent, but loyal to a fault. The other is damaged and insecure, and needs someone to save her. I can admit, I’ve owned each of these traits/characteristics over my life and I guess that’s how I’ve ended up where I am at this point in my life. My friends have always meant so much to me. My circle is small, but very close to my heart."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for The Upside of Regret - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I love my cover. I wanted something that has to do with music because music is a huge part of this book. When I saw this image, I was sold. It has that contrasting of fire and water, light and dark - I felt that it was very in line with the feeling of the story. I was a graphic designer in another life, but I designed wedding albums and family albums. A book is a whole other beast. I’ve designed the majority of my covers myself, but when it comes to professional eye, I seek out the advice from my dear friend Amy Queau of Q Designs. She’s got an amazing eye and is brilliant! She directed me to use different font and adjust the placement of the title. I usually tell her, until I get her “OK” I will not show a soul. Hahah"

Why should we read The Upside of Regret and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I think that The Upside of Regret is one of those stories that reminds you to be true to yourself. I’m not sure if that sets me apart when it comes to storytelling, but it does come from the heart. I think that this book deals with subject matters that are timely and important today without being preachy or condescending."

Can you tell us something quirky about The Upside of Regret, its story and characters?

"Okay, so it wasn’t until this afternoon, truly, that I was thinking about my guy leads. I adore both of them. The thing is, one is named Matt and the other is named Dylan. Matt Dylan? Really?? It was completely an accident and now I feel like a tool. And to show my age, I chose the name Dylan because of Dylan on 90210. Lol!"

Who would you recommend The Upside of Regret to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"When I write with my own daughters in mind, even though they are teenagers, I tend to write very clean. However, that being said, there is light talk of sex (but not raunchy) and it does deal with heavy subject matter toward the end of the book that could bother some. But again, I feel that the situation is very real and very timely."

If you could / wished to turn The Upside of Regret and the Aimless Perfection series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Okay, soooooo, the people I see are as follows:
Brighton - Emma Watson (because she’s just amazing!)
Leah - Anna Sophia Robb (I adore her)
Matt - Casey Cott (not sure why, but my daughter’s found a pic of him and he sort of fit)
Dylan - Chris Wood (because my daughters and I love Mon-El)"

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"My first 3 books were contemporary romance - or more realistic fiction. And then I tried YA and loved it. I enjoy reading YA and feeling those butterflies and all that stuff. My last 2 books were contemporary and on the lighter side, but so much fun. I LOVED writing Fumbled so much and was constantly laughing and smiling. My daughters were curious why and requested to read it, so I cleaned it up (it wasn’t too bad to begin with) and let them read it. So if you look out there, there is a regular and a YA version of that one."

What is your writing process?

"I tend to have a general idea of what I want to write. But I need pure darkness, complete silence, and music. The first two I can only get at night, after 10. I’m not nearly as creative in the light of day."

What is in store next?

"Well, Leah is getting her story. It doesn’t quite have a title yet, so for now It’s Aimless Perfection Book 2. And for anyone who’s read Finding Laila - Cole is getting a book. His is due out later this year. And I also have book 3 in the Girls of Beachmont Series."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"Where do I start? I have two dogs and I post lots of pics of them on Instagram because they are goofy. I have my 5 year old Shihtzu Wickety Snickity Boo-Boo Bear (yep, that’s her name) who we call Wick. She looks like an Ewok. And then I have Stormy Tuesday La Rue. She’s a maltipoo and I named her that because I picked her up on a stormy Tuesday afternoon. She’s a bit of a tornado. Hahah. I have a pic of me with Wick because she has a problem with me writing."

Wonderful collage, thank you for sharing! And of course lots of cuddles to the two gorgeous furry stars, Wickety Snickity Boo-Boo Bear and Stormy Tuesday La Rue :-D